In a political clash that’s rapidly becoming a constitutional flashpoint, Attorney General Pam Bondi is urging Minnesota Governor Tim Walz to drop the state's sanctuary policies and open its voter rolls and public assistance records to the federal government. The letter — a three-page demand obtained by CBS News — comes amid a dramatic federal immigration crackdown in Minneapolis, where tensions are boiling after a second fatal shooting by ICE agents in just one month.
Bondi’s letter pulls no punches. She accuses Minnesota officials of fostering “anti-law enforcement rhetoric” and warns that refusing to cooperate with federal authorities is putting agents — and public safety — at risk. Specifically, she’s calling on the state to fully cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, honor detainer requests in jails, and grant access to detailed voter registration and welfare data.
🚨 BREAKING: Minnesota AG Keith Ellison erupts in panic after the Trump DOJ asks for his state's voter rolls to purge illegal aliens and other ineligibles
"It's about voter information, and THAT'S why we're fighting it!" 🤯
He ADMITTED it.
THAT'S why they are so frantic right… pic.twitter.com/6xxGxt3KxT
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) January 26, 2026
“I am confident that these simple steps will help bring back law and order to Minnesota and improve the lives of Americans,” Bondi wrote.
But Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon fired back swiftly and unequivocally. In a sharply worded statement, he called Bondi’s request “outrageous” and flatly illegal, citing state and federal privacy laws that prevent sharing such data. “The answer to Attorney General Bondi’s request is no,” Simon said. He pointedly noted that the Governor has no authority over the state’s voter rolls — a responsibility that falls under his own office, which is already battling the DOJ in court over similar demands.
The Trump administration has been pushing Minnesota for weeks, pressuring state and local authorities to give ICE deeper access to county jails and prisons. While some local jurisdictions comply, others resist, citing community trust and legal concerns. Bondi’s latest move connects that ongoing immigration fight to broader claims of voter fraud and welfare abuse — a political fusion that could escalate the legal and ideological battles now unfolding across the state.
🚨 HOLY SMOKES. The Minnesota Secretary of State just CONFIRMED they're panicked and hiding voter roll data from the Trump DOJ
The DOJ wants this data to clean ILLEGAL ALIENS from the rolls
"They want Social Security numbers!"
HAND IT OVER, cheaters! pic.twitter.com/tFlNbGjQIV
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) January 26, 2026
What’s driving this escalation? Critics say it’s an effort to force compliance by tying federal support and local security to controversial federal objectives — a strategy that Simon likened to “ransom.”
And the stakes are climbing fast. Two civilians — Alex Pretti and Renee Good — are dead following ICE operations, and the Governor’s office has now labeled the federal presence in Minnesota an “occupation.” With emotions raw and tempers high, Bondi’s letter may be less a policy proposal than a line drawn in the sand — one that could reshape federal-state relations far beyond Minnesota.
